Author Date

2020-08-19

Degree Name

Department

Management

College

Marriott School of Management

Defense Date

2020-07-29

Publication Date

2020-08-19

First Faculty Advisor

James Oldroyd

First Faculty Reader

Paul Godfrey

Honors Coordinator

Mark Hansen

Keywords

Bounded rationality, Carnegie School, Nelson and Winters, COVID-19, Google Trends

Abstract

Using the unique conditions afforded by the global pandemic, we examine Simon’s influential 1947 Bounded-rationality theory with empirical data. We attempt to correlate a shift in attention with a decrease in routine organizational activity. Using a relative measure for interest in COVID-19 topic prevalence from Google Trends and sales activity from a diverse sample of business to business companies. Our results support Simon’s theory. We found a moderate relationship between routine activity and a global shift in attention. Furthermore, the data highlight a possible theoretical threshold necessary for an event to cause divergence.